


Compliments to the Speaker

by Live



Category: Thomas Sanders
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, I'm Bad At Tagging, Introspection, M/M, Romantic or platonic, Self-Hatred
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2017-04-11
Packaged: 2018-10-17 19:53:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10601073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Live/pseuds/Live
Summary: Anxiety's never been given a compliment, so why would Logic?





	

“You know since we have started hanging out-” and those are words that never bode well, they’re words that are usually followed by crippling disappointment, they’re words that mean he’s not good enough. “I have noticed you are very good at persuasive speech.”

Oh.

That was not what he was expecting. And he honestly didn’t know how to take it. I mean how could you take it?

“Not really,” Anxiety raised a brow at Logic. “I speak the same way the rest of you do.”

“No we do not,” Logic dismisses. “Morality had a tendency for puns. Prince speaks more through body language than his flowery language. I am more partial to the intellectual and imperative. And you have a mastery of the persuasive.”

“I don’t know if that’s meant to be a compliment or not,” Anxiety admits.

“Well, it is a useful technique for debates. And it had made our discussions more intense, which is always a pleasure,” Logic smiles.

But, Anxiety knows there’s more. There’s always more. As Logic said he’s an intellectual speaker, there’s no way he doesn’t know the connotations of starting a sentence with ‘well’… ‘Well’ and a compliment are always used to soften a complaint.

“But,” see? “You use them against yourself.”

Anxiety blinks. Though… he wasn’t expecting that complaint.

Still a complaint though…

“What does that mean?”

“My observations lead me to believe that you often persuade yourself that you are not loved and that you are useless,” Logic explains.

“Well, it’s true isn’t it?” Anxiety shoves his hands into his hoodie’s pockets, hoping to appear smaller.

“It is not. As I’ve said before: I am partial to your company. Morality adores everyone. And, Prince is an idiot,” Logic reasoned.

“Sure, but… I’m not as important as you guys. I’m not needed,” Logic stares at him. “I’m not!”

“Repetition,” Logic says.

“What does that mean?” But Anxiety knows what it means.

He’s a nuisance. He only repeats the same depressing things day in and day out. He’s never going to change or grow. He’s forever going to be struck as a disappointment.

“Repetition is a rhetorical device. The particular version of repetition you used was Anaphora. Anaphora is when you repeat a word or phrase at the beginning of a sentence,” Logic explained.

“That’s nice and all,” Anxiety interrupted. “But, everyone uses repetition. It’s not exactly special to accidentally use it. What exactly is the point in this?”

“A rhetorical question,” logic inclines his head. “Another literary device used for persuasion-”

“It wasn’t rhetorical,” Anxiety rolls his eyes, sometimes he forgets conversations with Logic can drag on (he wouldn’t change it though, for all of his faults, Anxiety enjoys Logic’s company… somehow).

“Well, then in that case,” Logic backtracks. “The point was to give examples of how you persuade yourself that you are not worth knowing. And how you persuade yourself that you have no friends.”

“I don’t. Morality is just a friendly idiot. Prince obviously hates me. Thomas hates me. And you… You don’t do feelings. You may say I’m the least detestable company, but that doesn’t mean you like me. I make it hard for anyone to enjoy things, Thomas barely gets any sleep thanks to me, why would anyone like me when even I hate me?”

“Well-”

“That was rhetorical question,” Anxiety cuts in.

There’s silence then. Anxiety’s eyes widen. A rhetorical question?

No. No, no, no. Logic couldn’t be right! Logic was knowledgeable, sure, but he was known for taking things too literally. For over analysing. For not understanding things that are emotionally charged.

And there was a whole lot of repetition in those last thoughts.

Logic was right.

“You were right,” Anxiety mutters.

“Was that a rhetorical question,” Logic raises a brow.

“Really?” Anxiety slumps, of course it wasn’t.

“Just making sure. It seems I’m struggling to understand what questions you want answered or-”

“It was a statement of fact,” Anxiety sighs rubbing his face.

“Well, in that case. I’m glad you understand you have a talent in the persuasive,” Logic smiles.

“Wait…” Anxiety blinks. “I thought this was a bad thing.”

“While it is true you use your skills to convince yourself that you are useless, these skills are also useful skills to have. Whether to persuade yourself that you are loved, or maybe if you choose to develop these skills to use in our debates. After all our debates are truly enjoyable,” and Logic almost sounds… proud? “It is truly a skill to be envied, Anxiety.”

“That’s a lot of pressure,” and of course he’d panic, he had to develop these skills.

“There’s no need to feel stressed. Your skills will naturally develop the more you use them, just enjoy whatever you choose to do,” and logic makes it sound simple.

Too simple.

Can anything be that simple?

Anxiety shakes himself.

“Thanks,” he manages to say.

“You are welcome,” logic takes a deep breathe. “And, if you ever need to persuade yourself you’re not hated. I never said you were the least detestable company, I said you were the most pleasant. I like you.”

And maybe it is that simple.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy! 
> 
> Also posted on my Tumblr: https://live-writing.tumblr.com/


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